Rivet setting machine



Jan. 14, 1941. w, E. wHlTLOCK 2,228,900

RIVET SETTING MACHINE Filed April 22, 1940 Patented Jan. 14, 1941 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE RIVET SETTING MACHINE Company, Waltham,Massachusetts Mass., a corporation of Application April 22, 1940, SerialNo. 330,828 In Great Britain March 9, 1939 4 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for setting or driving rivets, tacksor the like, herein termed rivet setting machines.

These machines may be provided with auto- 5 matic rivet feedingmechanism for feeding the rivets to a two-part pocket which receives therivets and retainsthem in proper position to be set by the plunger ofthe machine. Such an arrangement is described in the specication ofBritish Letters Patent No. 487,152, in which the two parts of the pocketare secured rigidly to the lower ends of two blade springs xed at theirupper ends to the stem of the rivet setting machine. This constructionand arrangement of the rivet-holding pocket; operates quitesatisfactorily in normal practice but, with the advent of flushriveting, it has become essential toemploy a rivet-setting plunger thediameter of which is at least as'large as, and preferably larger than,the diameter of the heads of the rivets being set. This larger diameterplunger opens the two halves of the pocket to a considerable extent and,due to the fact that the two parts of the pocket swing open about thelixed upper parts of the blade springs, they are opened more at thebottom than at the top. This excessive opening of the bottom parts ofthe pocket may allow the rivet therein to drop to the bottom of the welland turn over, so that when the machine completes its setting stroke,the rivet is squeezed sideways on to the work and may damage thecomponents being riveted. This objection is serious as the type of workin which flush riveting is called for usually comprises expensive lightalloy panels for aircraft.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improvedconstruction and arrangement of the two-part pocket with which theaforesaid objection is denitely eliminated.

According to the invention the parts of the pocket are pivotallyconnected to their supporting members so that when the plunger descendsand opens the pocket, the parts open at the top about their pivots whileat the bottom they remain close together to prevent the rivet turningsideways or dropping from the pocket.

One embodiment of the invention will now be more particularly described,by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in whichFigures l, 2 and 3 illustrate in front elevation, side elevation andplan respectively a rivet receiving and retaining pocket formed in twoparts pivotally connected to their supports in accordance with theinvention,

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the rivet receiving and retainingpocket of Figures l to 3 attached to the rivet-setting machine, a rivetbeing shown lying in the pocket prior to the descent of therivet-setting plunger, and

Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 4 but showing the initial openingof the pocket parts upon descent of the plunger.

Referring to the drawing, the rivet receiving and retaining pocketsshown therein is formed by two metal parts 6 machined to form a recessor Well 'I for a rivet fed thereto at 8 from an automatic rivet feedingmechanism (not shown) which may be similar to that -described in thelspecification of British Letters Patent No. 294,754. The parts 6 areconnected each to one of a pair of L-shaped members 9 by hinge pins I0located at the outer lower ends of the parts, thereby allowing thepocket parts to rock laterally, that is in a vertical plane. The twoL-shaped members S-with the lower horizontal limbs of the Ls facingtoward each other may be and, as shown, are riveted at I2 to a pair ofblade springs II which, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, are xed at theirupper ends to the stein I3 of the rivet-setting machine described in thespecification of British Letters Patent No. 487,152. This permits ayielding bodily separation of the pocket parts to permit the plunger topass therebetween and eject a rivet therefrom and set it in the work.This iixing of the blade springs II to the stem I3 is effected by studsI 4 which are carried by and project outwardly of the stem to passthrough apertures I6 in the upper ends of the springs which are securedupon the studs by nuts I5. Pegs I'I are provided to prevent turning ofthe pocket and spring assembly upon the studs. The stem I3 in theconstruction illustrated forms part of a pressure pad which sheathes therivet-setting plunger I 8, the apertured bottom plate I3a constitutingthe pad proper. As will be understood, the rivet-setting machineembodies mechanism to drive the pressure pad downwards slightly inadvance of the plunger I 8, so that the pad proper I 3a maintains aconstant pressure on the work during the time that a rivet is being set.

When the plunger I8 descends to pass between the upper parts of theDocket parts 6, 6 its lower edge strikes on the upwardly and outwardlyinclined faces of the pocket parts 6, 6, these parts thus havingcooperating wedge faces which act to open up the pocket at the top underpressure of the plunger while the pressure of the blade springs Ilexerted on the pivots Ii) holds the 55 lower ends of the pocket parts 6together as shown in Figure 5. As the plunger descends further andcontacts with the rivet, the pressure of the plunger against the sidesof the well l approaching lateral alinement with the pivots I causes thepocket parts to separate at their lower ends also against the pressureof the springs il, and the lower end of the plunger passes completelythrough the pocket driving the rivet before it.

It will be understood that the terms top and bottom are used herein in arelative sense and that in an underfeed riveting machine, in which theplunger moves upwardly towards an anvil disposed thereabove, the pocketparts will open at the bottom about their pivots and remain closetogether at the top. That is to say the construction and arrangement ofthe parts will be as already described except that they will beinverted.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rivet setting machine having a rivet setting plunger, amultiple-part pocket for receiving and retaining a rivet in position tobe set by said plunger, supporting members permitting bodily separationof said pocket parts under pressure of said plunger to permit saidplunger to pass therebetween and eject a rivet therefrom, and pivotalconnections between said supporting members and pocket parts at thelower ends of said pocket parts permitting said pocket parts to tiltfrom each other as said plunger enters therebetween at their upper endswhile remaining close together at their lower ends to retain a rivet insaid pocket in position to be properly driven by said plunger, saidmachine including means for pressing said pivotal connections towardeach other.

2. In a rivet setting machine having a rivet setting plunger, amultiple-part pocket for receiving and retaining a rivet in position tobe set by said plunger, supporting members permitting bodily separationof said pocket parts under pressure of said plunger to permit saidplunger to pass therebetween and eject a rivet therefrom, pivotalconnections between said supporting members and pocket parts at thelower ends of said pocket parts permitting said pocket parts to tiltfrom each other as said plunger enters therebetween at their upper endswhile remaining close together at their lower ends to retain a rivet insaid pocket in position to be properly driven by said plunger, saidmachine including means for pressing said pivotal connections towardeach other, and a work engaging pad beneath said pocket.

3. In a rivet setting machine having a rivet setting plunger, amultiple-part pocket for receiving and retaining a rivet in position tobe set by said plunger, and supporting members permitting bodilyseparation of said pocket parts under pressure of said plunger to permitsaid plunger to pass therebetween and eject a rivet therefrom, each ofsaid supporting members being L shaped and with the lower limbs thereoffacing inwardly toward each other, each of said pocket parts beinghinged at its outer lower end to one of said lower limbs of itsrespective supporting member, and said pocket parts having facesextending above said hinges suciently close together to be engaged andforced apart by said plunger during its setting stroke, said machineincluding means for pressing said pocket parts toward each other.

4. In a rivet setting machine having a rivet setting plunger, amultiple-part pocket for receiving and retaining a rivet in position tobe set by said plunger, resilient supporting members permitting yieldingbodily separation of said pocket parts under pressure of said plunger topermit said plunger to pass therebetween and eject a rivet therefrom,pivotal connections between said supporting members and pocket partspermitting said pocket parts to be tilted from each other by thepressure of said plunger thereagainst as said plunger enterstherebetween at their upper ends while remaining close together at theirlower ends to retain a rivet in said pocket in position to be properlydriven by said plunger, and a pressure pad supported beneath said pocketparts.

WILLIAM EDGAR WHITLOCK.

